Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Movie Reboot Announced

[Beagleman]

^^^
I agree I was a huge Power Rangers fan 20 years ago, 1st, 2nd (and 3rd?) season were awesome to me, I collected trading cards, comics and whatever..., I stopped being interested once I grew past the age of twelve. If I ever were to watch a Power Rangers movie in a cinema, it should reflect nostalgia and adultness equally, because 50% of the audience would be in their 30s.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I would love to see this movie. The original recipe Mighty Morphin' rangers were a big part of my childhood. And as much as I loved the show, having a non-cheesy, bigger budget version would be awesome!

I agree, Frontier, that the Green Ranger should be involved in a major way in the plot line. In my opinion, his introduction is what really made the show take off and get to where it is today.

Eh, I think they can do well without him and I think it should start with just the five. Someone mentioned a trilogy. The Green Ranger should definitely be in the sequel.

 

[Cyke101]

I know this is a highly unlikely for any number of reasons, but I'll be one happy camper if they recreate this battle as, say, the climax of a trilogy.

The PR version of that battle is actually being done for the last episode of the current season.

Yes, I'm aware, and there've already been snippets of it this season, but a big-budget version of it on the scale of Lord of the Rings would be downright delicious. Honestly, I'm much more into PR/Sentai because of the superhero fights rather than the big kaiju fights, but there's a place for both, of course.

 

[Awesome Possum]

If Alpha 5 isn't in it, I'm out.

 

[Takeru]

Jason David Frank (Tommy, the Green/White/Red/Red/Black) ranger is already chomping at the bit for a part.

Keep him away from the movie, I'm sick of him.

Perhaps it's a difference of definitions. I'm not saying we need modern BSG gritty, or even Dark Knight trilogy gritty. But certainly on the level of the Marvel films, at least, could be done.

I agree that it should try to hit the tone of the Marvel films but I wouldn't describe them as dark and gritty, they're pretty lighthearted.

The Green Ranger should definitely be in the sequel.

No way, he has to be in the first one, he's arguably the most popular and well known part of the series, he and the dragonzord will be a big draw, it would be madness not to use him.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't see any of that as a good reason to have him. The show was originally five. Most PR shows have five. And the evil Green Ranger arc was a good one, but wouldn't make sense for the first movie.

 

[Takeru]

I don't see any of that as a good reason to have him. The show was originally five. Most PR shows have five.

The show was five rangers for a little bit more than a month before green showed up and became incredibly popular. And with him being in the movie as a villain it would still be five heroes.

And the evil Green Ranger arc was a good one, but wouldn't make sense for the first movie.

How would it not make sense, the green ranger stuff is one of the most memorable things about MMPR, him being a villain also gives the heroes a personal connection to the guy they're fighting, that's much better for the story than a generic monster they've never seen before.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

It doesn't make sense because the characters need to be established before the bad guys decide to subvert them from within. The whole point of the Green Ranger is it shook them to their core after they had gotten their confidence. Their Zords were destroyed, Zordon was taken out of commission, etc. If the first movie were Power Ranger vs. Power Ranger, it would distract from the becoming heroes story and would make Rita too much of a secondary villain.

We may just have to agree to disagree here. I'm just saying it would make a great second story, but would be a distraction for the first story.

ETA: I'll point out that Green with Evil pt. 1 was 17 episodes in. If the show followed a normal broadcast schedule of a prime time show, it would have been shown something like six months later. My whole point is the show took time to establish the team before shaking things up (16 episodes to be exact). I think the movie needs to be the same.

 

[Takeru]

It doesn't make sense because the characters need to be established before the bad guys decide to subvert them from within. The whole point of the Green Ranger is it shook them to their core after they had gotten their confidence.

That was the point in the series, it doesn't have to be the point in the movie, why can't he come in right at the start? It would be a different story but that doesn't mean it won't work. They could establish right at the start that the powers can be used for good or evil and that Zordon has five coins and Rita one. The green ranger showing up doesn't have to be a surprise or a subversion, the audience would expect it anyway and the characters can still be shocked by the reveal of who he is not that he exists.

... it would distract from the becoming heroes story and would make Rita too much of a secondary villain.

I don't think it would distract from them becoming heroes, they can still do that, it's just that they're fighting another ranger and not a anthropomorphized pig. I also don't see how it makes Rita a secondary villain, what difference does it make if she sends a monster or a ranger, in both cases she's sitting in her palace barking orders and getting headaches.

We may just have to agree to disagree here. I'm just saying it would make a great second story, but would be a distraction for the first story.

The problem is, they only really have one shot at this, if the first movie isn't a success there won't be a second one, that's the main reason I don't see them sitting on one of the most well known characters to save him for a sequel that might never happen.

 

[kirk55555]

I think it would be cool to see the Green Ranger in this movie, and I can see it happening just because he's so recognizable and popular, but I do think it would be a better idea to leave him for a sequel. I think this movie could be interesting. I'd like to see it do something maybe a bit more mature than the tV shows (I'm not talking dark or gritty, just a bit more along the lines of what Frontier was saying, where it should try to attract the superhero/marvel movie type crowd, and that way get the younger kids and older people with nostalgia). Then again, I still enjoy Power Rangers today, so I can handle goofy. As long as the acting and writing is at least more like the best the show had to offer, and not the fairly bad writing/acting of the last few seasons, I definately think this movie has potential.

 

[Sketcher]

I could see Tommy being in the movie, but in more of a supporting capacity. Think Rhodes in Iron Man 1, where his future as a hero is hinted at, but he's still just a normal guy that happens to help out the superhero.

 

[RoJoHen]

I could see Tommy being in the movie, but in more of a supporting capacity. Think Rhodes in Iron Man 1, where his future as a hero is hinted at, but he's still just a normal guy that happens to help out the superhero.

This is what I was thinking. You can definitely introduce Tommy as a supporting character without diving into the Green Ranger story. I think it would be a weird plot for the first movie. You have to bring the team together first!

Then, like Marvel movies, maybe you could have a post-credits scene with Tommy being confronted by Rita to hint at the Green Ranger plot for the sequel.

Movie #1 should be Rita and Goldar.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

I could see Tommy being in the movie, but in more of a supporting capacity. Think Rhodes in Iron Man 1, where his future as a hero is hinted at, but he's still just a normal guy that happens to help out the superhero.

This is what I was thinking. You can definitely introduce Tommy as a supporting character

Plus it avoids the whole "Oh noes, the guy we just met and have known for like a few days or weeks is the evil ranger! betrayal angst" thing that happened on the show.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I could see Tommy being in the movie, but in more of a supporting capacity. Think Rhodes in Iron Man 1, where his future as a hero is hinted at, but he's still just a normal guy that happens to help out the superhero.

This is what I was thinking. You can definitely introduce Tommy as a supporting character without diving into the Green Ranger story. I think it would be a weird plot for the first movie. You have to bring the team together first!

Then, like Marvel movies, maybe you could have a post-credits scene with Tommy bring confronted by Rita to hint at the Green Ranger plot for the sequel.

Movie #1 should be Rita and Goldar.

That's fine with me. In fact, I agree with it completely. My understanding of what Takeru is saying suggests he would not agree.

Rita, Goldar, and Putties are sufficient, combined with everything else, for a two hour movie.

 

[Cyke101]

If we're going down the road of gritty, more grown-up reboot, we could bring back seven monsters, retool them into frightening grotesqueries, and have them represent the seven deadly sins.

Reboot Pudgy Pig = Gluttony

...for example. After all, Rita's monsters were originally based on myths and legends, hence why there was a Frankenstein, a Sphinx, and a Minotaur.

*crickets*

 

[Frontier]

I can't see a villain named Rita Repulsa, let alone one who whines and is so shrill (if they keep those aspects) going over well. She was a silly joke then, would be more so now.

I remember vividly when they brought Lord Zedd in. He was truly scary. Truly a villain. He made Rita look as silly as she was. Dare I say he was the best villain on any season. Having him from the get-go for the baddie is just a no brainer. Zedd has the potential to be a Darth Vader type bad guy who despite being bad is popular.

As to the green ranger level of involvement, Saban knows full well how popular he was. I doubt they'll forgo his involvement for much of any reason. He's a big draw.

I just hope they go with the right tone. IE, the tone of most Marvel films. I don't think a dark PR film, something like the TDK films in tone, would ever work. But doing the tone of most Marvel films - Avengers for prime example - is spot on. It's something adults can enjoy as well as most kids.

 

[Kelthaz]

Rita, Goldar, and Putties are sufficient, combined with everything else, for a two hour movie.

Scorpina had better in the movie or they'll be hell to pay. They can leave out Squat and Baboo though.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Ooh, forgot about Scorpina. Yeah, she's great. I would love to see her. Alternatively, though, she first appeared in Green with Evil, iirc, so I could see her being a villain in the second movie, though (my theory being that Tommy needs to become good before the movie ends and team up to defeat something else).

 

[M.A.C.O.]

I can't see a villain named Rita Repulsa, let alone one who whines and is so shrill (if they keep those aspects) going over well. She was a silly joke then, would be more so now.

I remember vividly when they brought Lord Zedd in. He was truly scary. Truly a villain. He made Rita look as silly as she was. Dare I say he was the best villain on any season. Having him from the get-go for the baddie is just a no brainer. Zedd has the potential to be a Darth Vader type bad guy who despite being bad is popular.

The problem with Zeed is underneath his sinister appearance, he never got close to beating the rangers. Season 1 Rita had more near successes than Season 2 Zedd. After a while (season 2) Zedd devolved in to the same pitfalls as Rita did.

While by herself Rita had more near successes and formed better plans than Zedd. Rita's monster's nearly beating Rangers:
From Season 1
Minotaur - "Teamwork"
Sphinx - "A Pressing Engagement"
Terror Toad - "Power Ranger Punks"
Knasty Knight - "Happy Birthday Zack"
Green With Evil 5 parter
Frankenstein - "Life's a Masquerade"
Mutitus - "Island of Illusion"
Lokar - "Island of Illusion" + "Doomsday"
Cyclops - "Green Candle"
Hatchasaurus and Cardiatron "Birds of a feather"
Dramole - Return of and Old Friend"
Cyclopsis - "Doomsday"
Commander Crayfish and the Mutant Rangers - "Mighty Morphin Mutants"


In season 2
It was Rita's plan to trap the rangers in the abandoned mansion with a fraction of their powers and pursued by monsters. It was Rita's plan to bring back the Green Ranger powers to counter the White Ranger by making a clone Tommy. Rita was the architect plot for "Best Man For The Job" which netted her control of the Tigerzord.

In Season 3
Rita set in motion the theft of the Falconzord by recruiting Kat and having her steal the Pink Crane coin. This neutralized the Ninja Megazord from being summoned. It also led to Kimberly nearly dying and having to be hospitalized. From an attack from the Tengas.

While Rita and Zedd were a duo in during the tail end of season 2 and all of season 3. Zedd never showed the same level of efficiency and competency that Rita did; independently or allied.

I think of Zedd's closest attempts to beat the Rangers were when he dealt the killing blow to the Green Ranger powers after a tedious arc, and White Light with the Nimrod monster. With regards to the green ranger powers; Rita had already effectively taken them away in season 1. After White Light Zedd sucked at his job hard. Even Sepentera in the 4 episodes (3 of which as a weapon against the rangers) he was used in season 2 were a waste. Always stepping on Tor and or losing power.

Zedd is all show but no pony.

The best villains in my opinion
Rita - MMPR Season 1
Astronema - In Space Season 6
Trakeena - Lost Galaxy Season 7
Ransik - Timeforce Season 9
Mesogog - Dino Thunder Season 12
Grumm - SPD Season 13
Thrax - Operation Overdrive Season 15 (cheating here but Once a Ranger was too good)
Venjix - RPM Season 17



Criteria to judge are menace to the rangers
Execution of strategy and plans
Generals and supporting characters
Did the villains work thematically in their respective season
How close the big bad came to reaching their goals

 

[Frontier]

The problem with Zeed is underneath his sinister appearance, he never got close to beating the rangers. Season 1 Rita had more near successes than Season 2 Zedd. After a while (season 2) Zedd devolved in to the same pitfalls as Rita did.

Yeah but this is a reboot. So... yeah. The fact he didn't beat them before means zip.

Zedd as a blank template makes a better choice than any other villain.